Improvement in meat-presses



J. lANFR'TH.

- Meat-Presses.

No. 144,322. Patented Nov. 4,1873..

UNITED STATES PATENT JACOB I. DANFORTH, OF N EVVBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MEAT-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,322, dated November4,1873; application ltd v August 23,1873.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, J Aeon I. DANFORTH, of Newburyport, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Meat-Press,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings' making part of thisspeciiication, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my im- )rovedmeat- )ress. Fio. 2 is a vertical section b through the center of thesame. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cylinder detached. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the cap or cover which fits the bottom of thecylinder. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the bottom of the cylinder with thecap applied thereto.

Screw-presses are frequently used for pressing corned beef and othermeats, which are afterward removed from the press, and placed in anice-chest to cool. The, meat, however, absorbs moisture from the ice,which soon causes it to spoil, while it is also liable to receive taintsor avors from other articles of food contiguous thereto. Furthermore, iftaken out of the chest, it soon becomes hard and dry from eX` posure tothe air, and much loss is experienced by hotels and restaurants fromthese causes. i

My invention consists in the combination a-nd arrangement of aperforated base with a flangeeap and removable hollow cylinder, ashereinafter set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to luiderstand and use my invention,I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A represents the base or stand of the press, whichrests upon legs a. At the center of the base is an aperture, over whichis placed a removable strainer, b, which rests on a ledge, c, from whichrises a circular flange, d, within which is tted the lower end of' avertical cylinder or receiver, B, for coutaining the cooked meat to bepressed. This cylinder B is made removable, and is held in place by pinsc projecting from it, which t into angular slots 7 in the ilange d. j'is a removable clamp, the hooked ends 8 of which t over projections 9 onthe cylinder 5 and through the center of this clamp passes a long screw,g, provided at its top with a cross-bar or handle, the lower end of thescrew iitting into a socket formed at the top of a disk or follower, h,which ts the interior of the cylinder, and is intended to be placed onthetop of the meat contained therein; and thus, as the screw isoperated, themeat receives the desired amount of pressure, the liquidtherefrom passing down through the strainer b into a pan, C, placedbeneath to receive it. The removable strainer b can be replaced by onehaving holes of any desired size. Any fat which may be pressed outbetween the ange d and the bottom of the cylinder B, or through theslots 7, is prevented from running over the base by a circular iiange,i, and passes down throughopenings l0, between two flanges, 1l 12, tothe pan C below, and by this device the upper surface of the base iskept clean and free from grease. After the meat has been pressed, thecylinder B is turned back slightly,'so as to move the pins e out of thehorizontal portions of the slots 7, when it is removed from the base A,after which a cover or cap, I), Fig. 4, having angular slots lo, isapplied to its lower end, and

secured in place by the pins and slots, by

which means the air is excluded from the bottom of the cylinder, whilethe upper surface of the meat is protected from the air by the layer offat which always rises to the top. The cylinder, with the pressed meattherein, is then deposited in an ice-chest, or other cool place,

in a horizontal position, so that it will rest upon legs or supports lsecured toits side; or it may rest upon its capped end. The clamp andscrew can be allowed to remain in place, if there is sufficient space inthe ice-chest; but if not, they can be readily removed.

Then the pressed meat is required for use the cap D is removed from thecylinder; and if the clamp and screw are attached, the meat can beforced out thereby a short distance beyond the bottom of the cylinder,when a slice may be cut off, the thickness depending upon the distancewhich the meat projects beyond the end of the cylinder, against whichthe knife is pressed in cutting the slice. The meat is then again forcedout, and a second slice is cut oft, and so on until the requiredquantity has been obtained, when the cover D is replaced, and thecylinder, still containing the remanider of the mea-t, is put away untilmore is re` quired.

FFIGE.

If the clamp and screw are not attached to the cylinder, the meat may beforced out by hand; but I prefer to use the screw, as the thickness ofthe slice can be more readily gaged thereby; and these slices can beserved in circular form, or may be out into segments, pre` senting ineither shape an attractive and inviting appearance, While there is noWaste caused by trimming, as heretofore.

During the operation of cutting oft' the slices -the cylinder is held bygrasping a handle, m, on its side with one hand, the legs l on theopfood, or get dry and hard from exposure to the air, as has heretoforealways been the case, the construction of all presses previously usedfor this purpose necessitating the removal of the meat to allow ot' itsbeing put away and cut up adapted for hotels and restaurants, and by itsuse much loss and Waste may be avoided, While it is simple, inexpensive,and not liable to get out of order.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-da The base A, having an annular series of perforations, 10 l0, incombination with the flange a', cap D, and cylinder B, as and for thepurpose set forth.

Vitness my hand this 20th day of August, A. D. 1873.

JACOB l. DANFORTH.

In presence oi"- I). E. Inscnmmennn, \V. J. CAMBRIDGE.

The .above-described press is particularly l

